NIFA EXAM 2026/2027 PREDICTIVE PRACTICE EXAM 200
MULTIPLE-CHOICE QUESTIONS WITH VERIFIED ANSWERS AND
RATIONALES
1. The number one patient safety issue identified in a survey of
perioperative nurses is preventing:
A) Surgical fires
B) Retained surgical items
C) Wrong site/procedure/patient surgery
D) Medication errors
Correct Answer: C
Rationale: Wrong site, wrong procedure, and wrong patient surgery is
consistently identified as the top patient safety concern in perioperative
nursing surveys. Prevention requires site marking, time-outs, and
verification protocols.
2. Reprocessing (flashing) instruments in the OR is high risk because:
A) Flash sterilization is not effective for metal instruments
B) OR personnel are not properly trained to reprocess instruments
C) Flash sterilization damages surgical instruments
D) The process takes too long for emergency procedures
Correct Answer: B
Rationale: Flash sterilization in the OR is considered high risk primarily
,because OR personnel may lack proper training in reprocessing
procedures, increasing the risk of contamination and infection.
3. To safely transfer and position patients in a manner that prevents
shearing, personnel should use a mechanical lifting device for a
supine-to-supine transfer of a patient weighing more than:
A) 100 lbs
B) 157 lbs
C) 200 lbs
D) 250 lbs
Correct Answer: B
Rationale: Mechanical lifting devices should be used for patients
weighing more than 157 lbs to prevent shearing injuries during supine-
to-supine transfers.
4. _______________ should be the primary decision makers for what
equipment and supplies are purchased and stocked in the difficult
airway management cart.
A) Perioperative nurses
B) Surgeons
C) Anesthesia personnel
D) Hospital administrators
Correct Answer: C
Rationale: Anesthesia personnel should be the primary decision makers
for the difficult airway management cart because they have the clinical
,expertise to determine which equipment and supplies are essential for
airway emergencies.
5. Proper specimen management techniques prevent errors and
include all of the following EXCEPT:
A) Labeling specimens immediately after collection
B) Using two patient identifiers on specimen labels
C) Placing specimens in appropriate fixatives
D) Receiving specimens from the surgical field then affixing patient label
to each
Correct Answer: D
Rationale: Receiving specimens from the surgical field and then affixing
patient labels is incorrect because specimens should be labeled at the
time of collection, not after receipt. This practice increases the risk of
misidentification errors.
6. Preventing surgical fires is a top priority for all OR personnel. Which
of the following is NOT a recommended duty for members of the
surgical team?
A) Perform a fire risk assessment before each procedure
B) Ensure alcohol-based prep solutions are completely dry before
draping
C) Communicate the presence of an ignition source
D) Perform a weekly fire risk assessment
Correct Answer: D
Rationale: Fire risk assessments should be performed before each
, procedure, not weekly. This ensures that the specific risks for each
surgical case are evaluated, including the presence of oxidizers, ignition
sources, and fuels.
7. Peri-operative hypothermia is an important issue for all
anesthetized patients because of all of the following EXCEPT:
A) Increased risk of surgical site infection
B) Increased risk of cardiac complications
C) Increased risk of renal failure
D) Impaired wound healing
Correct Answer: C
Rationale: While hypothermia increases the risk of surgical site
infection, cardiac complications, and impaired wound healing, it does
not directly increase the risk of renal failure. Renal failure is more
commonly associated with other factors such as hypotension,
nephrotoxic drugs, or pre-existing renal disease.
8. Recommendations for preventing retained surgical items include all
of the following EXCEPT:
A) Standardized counting protocols
B) Use of radiofrequency detection technology
C) Utilizing a multidisciplinary team to resolve incorrect counts
D) Performing counts at multiple intervals during surgery
Correct Answer: C
Rationale: While multidisciplinary teams are valuable, the
recommendation for preventing retained surgical items is to utilize a
MULTIPLE-CHOICE QUESTIONS WITH VERIFIED ANSWERS AND
RATIONALES
1. The number one patient safety issue identified in a survey of
perioperative nurses is preventing:
A) Surgical fires
B) Retained surgical items
C) Wrong site/procedure/patient surgery
D) Medication errors
Correct Answer: C
Rationale: Wrong site, wrong procedure, and wrong patient surgery is
consistently identified as the top patient safety concern in perioperative
nursing surveys. Prevention requires site marking, time-outs, and
verification protocols.
2. Reprocessing (flashing) instruments in the OR is high risk because:
A) Flash sterilization is not effective for metal instruments
B) OR personnel are not properly trained to reprocess instruments
C) Flash sterilization damages surgical instruments
D) The process takes too long for emergency procedures
Correct Answer: B
Rationale: Flash sterilization in the OR is considered high risk primarily
,because OR personnel may lack proper training in reprocessing
procedures, increasing the risk of contamination and infection.
3. To safely transfer and position patients in a manner that prevents
shearing, personnel should use a mechanical lifting device for a
supine-to-supine transfer of a patient weighing more than:
A) 100 lbs
B) 157 lbs
C) 200 lbs
D) 250 lbs
Correct Answer: B
Rationale: Mechanical lifting devices should be used for patients
weighing more than 157 lbs to prevent shearing injuries during supine-
to-supine transfers.
4. _______________ should be the primary decision makers for what
equipment and supplies are purchased and stocked in the difficult
airway management cart.
A) Perioperative nurses
B) Surgeons
C) Anesthesia personnel
D) Hospital administrators
Correct Answer: C
Rationale: Anesthesia personnel should be the primary decision makers
for the difficult airway management cart because they have the clinical
,expertise to determine which equipment and supplies are essential for
airway emergencies.
5. Proper specimen management techniques prevent errors and
include all of the following EXCEPT:
A) Labeling specimens immediately after collection
B) Using two patient identifiers on specimen labels
C) Placing specimens in appropriate fixatives
D) Receiving specimens from the surgical field then affixing patient label
to each
Correct Answer: D
Rationale: Receiving specimens from the surgical field and then affixing
patient labels is incorrect because specimens should be labeled at the
time of collection, not after receipt. This practice increases the risk of
misidentification errors.
6. Preventing surgical fires is a top priority for all OR personnel. Which
of the following is NOT a recommended duty for members of the
surgical team?
A) Perform a fire risk assessment before each procedure
B) Ensure alcohol-based prep solutions are completely dry before
draping
C) Communicate the presence of an ignition source
D) Perform a weekly fire risk assessment
Correct Answer: D
Rationale: Fire risk assessments should be performed before each
, procedure, not weekly. This ensures that the specific risks for each
surgical case are evaluated, including the presence of oxidizers, ignition
sources, and fuels.
7. Peri-operative hypothermia is an important issue for all
anesthetized patients because of all of the following EXCEPT:
A) Increased risk of surgical site infection
B) Increased risk of cardiac complications
C) Increased risk of renal failure
D) Impaired wound healing
Correct Answer: C
Rationale: While hypothermia increases the risk of surgical site
infection, cardiac complications, and impaired wound healing, it does
not directly increase the risk of renal failure. Renal failure is more
commonly associated with other factors such as hypotension,
nephrotoxic drugs, or pre-existing renal disease.
8. Recommendations for preventing retained surgical items include all
of the following EXCEPT:
A) Standardized counting protocols
B) Use of radiofrequency detection technology
C) Utilizing a multidisciplinary team to resolve incorrect counts
D) Performing counts at multiple intervals during surgery
Correct Answer: C
Rationale: While multidisciplinary teams are valuable, the
recommendation for preventing retained surgical items is to utilize a
